Reasons To Die For
by Epona's Chosen
Summary: *Sequel to Reasons To Live For by TheLightIsMine.* "A nurse named Rhiannon Swift has helped over hundred clones desert the IA. Her and her son – who is due to turn six this week – were last seeing boarding a LAAT/i with a squad of Commandos. There are no current leads on their whereabouts." Jaing stared at the holoimage. Rhiannon. His Rhiannon. Surely it couldn't be his son too..?
1. Prologue

**Here you go! The sequel to Reasons To Live For! I deeply suggest you read that first! - w w w . fanfiction . net . / s / 7882620 / 1 (remove the spaces obviously)**

**I hope you won't be disappointed after TheLightIsMine's amazing work, I will have her beta all my chapters so it'll hopefully be mistakeless. **

**Enjoy the prologue!**

* * *

Kal turned the Holonews on in the _karyai. _The _aliit_ had finished eating a meal prepared by Laseema and, as was routine now, were gathering to hear the news of the galaxy.

Jaing and Mereel were messing around and talking about the latest women they'd bedded, and Kal tried not to overhear, while Fi and Parja were cuddling in the corner. Corr was trying to drag Jilka off to their bedroom, murmuring something about making their own child after spending half the day looking after Ka'ra so Besany and Ordo could have some alone time – she was having none of it, reading something absorbedly on her datapad. Corr eventually gave up and sat himself down next to her.

Other couples were scattered talking quietly amongst themselves while Kal settled down to watch the news, tuning out.

"And the latest news: it has been revealed that a nurse named Rhiannon Swift has helped over hundred clones desert the IA. She and her son – who is due to turn six this week, our sources say – were last seeing boarding a LAAT/i with a squad of commandos. There are no current leads on their whereabouts. This incident happened two hours ago and anyone who has any information is required to come forward." There was a picture of this Rhiannon, who was startling familiar, with her child in her arms.

Kal stared, and then rewound the news.

"Jaing, you might want to see this," he said, memories falling into place, and Jaing stopped his teasing of Mereel's love life to look at the holoimage.

"That's... that's Rhiannon," he whispered, his eyes glued to the screen as the same segment of news was repeated. The room was quiet now. "What the Force is she doing? What if they catch her? What if she gets _hurt_?"

"I thought you were over her, _ner vod_," A'den commented.

"Shut up," Jaing said, listening intently. Kal knew, and the Nulls undoubtedly knew, he'd never gotten over her exactly.

"I think you made an impression on her," Jilka commented, looking up from her datapad. "I mean, that's some plan she had, it must have taken years to manage that."

Jaing paused the news on the picture of her and her son. Kal felt like someone had plunged him into ice water suddenly. _It couldn't be Jaing's... surely?_

* * *

**As prologue's go, it's rather short but I swear the chapters get longer. It's just a taste of the plot of my sequel :) I have actually completed the next chapter so reviews will make it appear quicker! (Yes, this is a sort of blackmail). **

**~ Rhiannon**


	2. Chapter 1

**I know, I know, it's actually Sunday where I am right now and I promised to update Saturday, but I almost forgot completely! I woke up and remembered for no apparent reason. **

**This is Ch1! It's longer than the prologue and the chapters are so far getting longer as I go along :)**

**And thanks to my beautiful, amazing and awesome beta and sort of co-planner/owner TheLightIsMine! Hope you had an amazing birthday those few days ago :)**

* * *

"You know, Jaing, it's been six years and nine months since you met Rhiannon," A'den said.

"I know," Jaing said, quietly.

"It fits the timeframe for him to be your son," Atin said, looking at Jaing with sorrow in his eyes. He knew why. Here he was, potentially with a son he'd never planned for and Atin and Laseema who so desperately wanted a child couldn't have one – planned or otherwise.

"I _know_," Jaing repeated. He didn't want them talking to him left, right and centre, telling him what he'd just figured out himself.

"And he sure looks a lot like you," Corr commented. "He looks like all of us."

Jaing let out a sigh of annoyance. "_I know_," he said forcefully. He stood up, the chair almost falling over behind him and stalked quickly out the room.

He disappeared before any of his _vode_ could follow him and locked himself in his room.

A loud crack echoed down the corridor as Jaing's fist collided with the wall. "_Shab_," he muttered and slid down the same wall, nursing his throbbing knuckles. He couldn't believe it. He had a son – with Rhiannon. A son who didn't know him, he should have been there for him; he should have been there for Rhiannon.

"Jaing?" asked a familiar voice – Ordo, "open up, _ner vod_."

Jaing looked at the door. "Ordo," he murmured helplessly.

"Open the door, Jaing, I want to talk to you," Ordo said, and Jaing numbly reached up and unlocked the door slowly.

The door clicked as Ordo opened it. He stepped inside and closed the door behind him, then sat down next to Jaing.

"Okay, so I have little idea how serious you were with this Rhiannon," Ordo said, simply. He'd been in a coma at the time; they all remembered that. "But I do know that having a child is special."

Jaing banged his head against the wall. "Rhiannon and I were a fling," he said, firmly. "I liked her, yes, but I wasn't going to commit – neither was she."

Ordo looked at him sideways. "You never commit, but how long were you with her - two, three weeks?"

He nodded. "Yeah, then we left with you."

"Well, that must be the longest you've ever been with a woman," Ordo said with a weak smile.

Jaing thought about it for a moment. "It is, actually."

"At least it wasn't a one night fling then," he said.

"I'm not made to be father, _Ord'ika_," Jaing whispered. "That's you, Dar and _buir."_

"You'd make a great father, _vod_," he said.

"You think so?" Jaing said, looking at his _vod_.

"Yes, I really do," Ordo said. "I mean, my daughter turned out alright and look who she has for parents." He added, grinning.

Jaing laughed. "I guess you're right, _ner vod_."

Ordo chuckled. "So what do you want to do about your son?"

"Assuming he is my son," he said. "I want to go and find both of them."

* * *

"Ready to go?" Kal asked Jaing as he came up behind him. Jaing was standing in the doorway, looking out over the surrounding lands of Kyrimorut.

"Yes," Jaing replied. Physically he was - mentally, he wasn't too sure. He was going to find his son and Rhiannon – he wasn't entirely sure what to call her now. He could clearly remember every moment he'd ever spent with her, but he could also remember every woman he'd had since. All three hundred and two of them. Part of him felt he'd betrayed her that many times, but he hadn't, not really, they weren't together for long. Longer than normal for him, but still not long enough to have a family. It hadn't stopped him comparing other women to her, though.

"No, you're not," Kal said softly, and placed his hand on Jaing's shoulder. "He's your son, _ad'ika_, it's okay to be nervous."

Jaing turned around and met Kal's eyes. "What if she's forgotten me, _buir_?" He said, quietly. "What if he's not even mine?"

"He is. I can see you in him – even in the picture." Kal assured him.

"What if it's another clone's though?" He asked, pain echoing through his voice. "She's been helping a lot of them out since we left."

"It's not. Jaing, that child is yours," Kal confirmed.

"He's Rhiannon's child," Jaing said, soberly. "I've not been a father to him – I don't even know his name."

"That's what you're going to find out," Kal said, forcing cheerfulness into his voice. "I can't promise that she'll welcome you back with open arms, but you have a right to at least meet him."

"And then what do I do? Leave?" Jaing asked flatly. "Kidnap the child?"

Kal brought Jaing into an embrace. "What do _you_ want?"

"I don't know, _Kal'buir_," he whispered.

"Do you want them to be here?" Kal asked, and Jaing pulled out of his arms and sighed.

"I didn't love her – not when we were in... the," he hesitated; he still found it hard to mention Ordo being in his coma, especially when he was this anxious. "I don't love her now, but I could, for the child's sake."

Kal sighed and shook his head. "No, _ad'ika_, you can't make yourself fall in love. Just like you can't force her to love you, if all else fails, make sure she knows there's a home for them here and make sure they have enough to live on."

He nodded. "I will," he said. "Thank you, _buir_."

"COME ON _VOD'IKA_, WE NEED TO LEAVE!" Mereel yelled through the bastion.

Mereel was going with him, he'd insisted. Jaing didn't mind, he was well aware he might end up flying in the other direction so he didn't have to do this if he went alone. Nothing had ever made him so nervous. What if he travelled all this way and her son already had a father? She probably hated him, she hadn't been interested enough to try and contact him. Maybe she'd found herself another clone and that's why she'd helped them desert? He didn't know – and that bothered him. He was the best data slicer in the galaxy but he didn't know his own son's name. Whoever the father was, he was obviously a clone, yet Jaing had noted the child had the same eyes as Rhiannon, and the same smile.

He could remember her perfectly. Dark hair streaked with crimson, green eyes with a jagged brown star around the pupil and a sweet smile combined with an adorable blush. She had only reached his shoulder in height – he'd had to lean down to kiss her – and her skin had been soft to the touch. They'd never been a couple – they'd had a fling, but he'd been on the brink of taking her with him when they'd finally left the medcenter.

"I'll see you soon, _buir_," he told Kal before walking through the bastion to where Mereel was waiting. _Aay'han_ was decked out for a trip to Dantooine in the Outer Rim.

That was their last known location, anyway.

Jaing climbed into _Aay'han_ and joined Mereel in the co-pilot's seat. "Let's go find my nephew then," Mereel said with a good-hearted smile aimed at Jaing.

"_If_ he's your nephew," Jaing said, double checking the route on his datapad.

"Who else could it be?" Mereel said and powered up the ship.

Jaing shook his head. There was no point in trying to convince anyone at Kyrimorut that Rhiannon's child wasn't his. They were all certain. He was too, he just couldn't admit it. It was timed almost perfectly. Her child was due to turn six within the week. It had been five years and nine months this month since he'd last seen her. They'd been at the hospital for three of those weeks, or maybe she'd moved faster than he thought. She could have found someone else; in five years it was very likely she had, but he found himself clinging to a thread of hope that she hadn't.

He wanted her back - her and his son.

At least, he thought he did. He didn't know if he would have if she hadn't had his child. He wanted them to be safe. Yes, that was it. He didn't want either of them to be got a hold of by the IA. They might kill her, and who knew what would happen to his son if that happened. If he brought them back to Mandalore, to Kyrimorut, they would be safer.

Jaing brought himself out of his head as he felt the ship leave the ground. He looked at Mereel, who shot him a grin. At least one of them was excited.

"I wonder if she has any female friends with her," Mereel mused, and Jaing rolled his eyes.

"Is that all you came for?" He asked with a laugh.

"No, I came to offer you emotional support as well," Mereel added, and chuckled. "The women are just a thing on the side."

"Well, the news didn't mention anyone working with her, other than the clones," Jaing said. "But you never know."

He laughed. "I hope there's a woman in it for me. I haven't had one for two weeks."

"Is that a record?" Jaing asked, smirking.

Mereel rolled his eyes. "It's the minimum gap between all of your women, _ner vod_."

He chuckled. Mereel could always be counted on the make him feel better. "Are you so sure about that?"

Mereel grinned over at him. "So, is Rhiannon going to be the woman for you?" He asked. "I remember you being quite taken with the lady."

Jaing shrugged. "She might not be available," he said.

"The holonews would have reported if she was dating somebody," Mereel said.

"Not if they kept it secret," Jaing muttered. "A commando could have."

Mereel punched his _vod's_ arm playfully. "Even if she was, you could win her back any day."

Jaing didn't truly admit it to himself, but he hoped he could too.

* * *

**Jaing and Mereel are jetting off to rescue one fair maiden and her humble knights :)**

**Reviews = Quicker update***

**~ Rhiannon**

***A complete lie really, I can't upload Ch2 until I write Ch4, I like to keep ahead so if I get really stuck, I still have a chapter for you guys :) Reviews with your ideas, etc: they do help keep me motivated though!**


	3. Chapter 2

**Oh my rowling, I'm so sorry for this very late update! My internet sucks and I've had college/sixth form which has left me with little time! But I do have this chapter for you, so enjoy it - it may be a while before I update again :(**

* * *

"IA troops are gathering on Alderaan. Not enough to defeat us, but they're planning something," a commando said to his brother as Rhiannon walked past, her son at her side.

Rhiannon stopped. "Are there many more joining them?" She asked the commando.

He shook his head. "No. If they think they can take us out with fifty men, their heads are screwed on wrong."

"Not necessarily," she countered. "The Empire knows what strong bonds you have with each other – if one of those men was your friend, could you shoot them?"

The commando friend didn't hesitate. "Yes, ma'am. Nobody in the IA is our friend."

Rhiannon nodded, but her gaze went back to the other commando. He looked somewhat uncomfortable. "I… what if they wanted to desert but hadn't had the chance yet?" He asked unsurely. "There are a couple of men I know would desert given the opportunity, ma'am," he explained.

Rhiannon touched his shoulder comfortingly. "This is my point," she said, looking over to the other commando. "Fifty men could take us out if we asked every single one if they wanted to join us. Everything and everyone can be threat now, understood?"

Both commandos nodded. "Oh, and if those men who want to desert contact you, let me speak to them please," she added, and the first commando nodded. Then she stooped to pick up her son, carrying him on her hip out of the central control area.

Rhiannon made her way through the underground hideout they'd taken control of. It wasn't big, but had plenty of rooms to serve as bedrooms, a kitchen and a medical bay, and the clones had done a fantastic job of setting up a central control unit in the middle. She was heading to the kitchens; she hadn't eaten much in thirty-six hours and it was starting to have an effect on her.

Her son stopped her at the entrance as she placed him down on the ground. "Go and sit down, mummy, I'll get you something to eat," he said, and she smiled.

"Thank you, that's most kind," she said and planted a light kiss on her son's forehead before going to sit down at the large table.

She watched her son as he prepared her a meal with leftovers on the counter. His hair was dark and tousled, falling into his eyes occasionally, and she smiled as he blew it out of the way for the third time. His eyes were like hers – hazel coloured - but as far as she could tell, his eyes were the only part of him that showed he was her son. The rest of him was his father. He had the same frame, the same face and the same personality. He was mature beyond his years, kind and caring and very protective. He shared the same mental capacity to learn things within seconds – he'd learned to use her blaster when he was just three and without help. She'd just woken up one morning to find he'd taken it off the shelf and was firing at a cushion and hitting dead centre every time, and leaving blaster burns on the wall. But she hadn't cared. His speech was more articulate than some adults she knew and he'd been walking in half the amount of time as any other child. She thought he was perfect. She just had one regret - that he wasn't having a proper childhood.

Her son carried her food over to her – roba sausage, she knew one of the squads were especially partial to it. He put it down in front of her and climbed up onto the chair next to her to put the glass of water down. "Eat up, mummy," he said, his tone still one of a child but his speech faultless.

She gave her son a small hug. "Thank you, love," she said and began to eat. It was delicious; two of the kitchen staff in the hospital had escaped as well, and she knew they'd never cooked as well in the hospital. She'd also brought her best friend with her, Alice. She'd also been a nurse, but in a different part of the hospital. She rarely dealt with injured clones. She'd been OB/GYN.

"Alice is here, mummy," her son said, and Rhiannon turned in her seat to greet her best friend. Alice was of average height with a slender figure. She had pale skin, almost the colour of snow, and long, dark hair that was perfectly straight and fine. Her eyes were green, greener than Rhiannon's, and she glowed with self-confidence. It was easy to tell she was wealthy; her speech and posture radiated her upper-class upbringing. She wasn't a snob though, when you got to know her – she had a crazy and impulsive streak in her that showed everyone she wasn't all austere.

"Hello, is everything alright?" She asked Alice as she approached.

"Yeah, the guys in at the controls think they've missed something though. I said I'd come and get them some caf." Alice said, and went over to the counter.

"Missed something where?" Rhiannon asked, eating quickly.

"Alderaan is a strange place to gather if they're going to attack us here on Dantooine, so they think it's potentially a decoy," Alice said, as she made five cups of caf for the squad and herself.

Rhiannon nodded and she stood up, taking her plate over to the sink. Her son followed her and stood by her side.

"I hope they're gathering there because they don't know where we are," Alice said ponderously, sipping her cup of caf.

"As do I," Rhiannon replied. "Need a hand carrying these?"

"Yeah, I could do," Alice said, and handed Rhiannon two of the cups. They left the kitchen and walked back towards the central controls, Rhiannon's son at her side.

"Where are the rest of the boys?" Alice asked as they walked, the sounds of their footsteps echoing through the empty corridor.

"Some are out getting supplies or doing surveillance, a bunch of squads are down on the lower level training and the rest are sleeping, I believe," Rhiannon replied. "I'm not entirely sure they know what to do with themselves."

Alice nodded, sipping on her caf. "They're free, not something they ever really expected to be."

Rhiannon sighed. "I know, they can go and live their own lives – have families, girlfriends, wives," she said, her voice trailing off slightly.

Alice looked at her friend, and then looked at her friend's son. "You know, there are many men here you could have," she said, lowering her voice. "He'd have a father."

Rhiannon sighed. "I know," she said, quietly. "But it still feels wrong."

"Because Jaing doesn't know?" asked Alice.

"Yes. I couldn't get a hold of him when I found out, and he never struck me as the children type anyway," Rhiannon said, tucking her hair behind her ear. "I don't know if he'd care."

"I can't say, I've never met him," Alice said.

"He was a fling – a weird time for one since his brother was in a coma, but I guess I was his distraction from it," she said. "He'd probably be mortified if he found out."

"You don't know that." Alice said with a smile. "You can never tell how people will react."

Rhiannon sighed. "True," she said, watching her son run over to where a group of commandos were messing with their rifles.

One of them, called Dex, lifted her son into his arms and kissed his forehead before sitting him down on the counter. He began to explain the individual components of the rifle; she could see her son was absorbing every word and desperate to try it out for himself. Rhiannon didn't worry. Everyone here knew her and her son, and appreciated what she'd done for them. It was like one big family.

She left her son with Dex, carrying on for a walk with Alice. She knew he was in safe hands. After leaving the cups of caf for the commandos, she and Alice went to see what the boys in the basement were doing.

"So, where will we go after the IA find us here?" Alice asked. It was a question Rhiannon didn't know the answer to. She wasn't a leader, really; she was just desperate to escape the clutches of the Empire.

"Honestly, I don't know. We were lucky to get this far," she said quietly.

"I expect a few of the men have some ideas. Maybe you should ask them?" Alice suggested.

Rhiannon shrugged. "I think they expect me to lead," she said. "And they keep calling me ma'am – it makes me feel old."

Alice laughed, Rhiannon joining in a few seconds later. "You _are_ old," she teased.

Rhiannon pushed her lightly. "I'm only about eight months older than you."

"_I_ don't have a child though." Alice said, and Rhiannon smiled.

"You don't know what you're missing out on," she said. "You go on to me about finding a man – maybe it's you who needs one."

Alice grinned. "I know I do. I may have my eye on someone."

"Who?" Rhiannon asked.

"Not telling," she replied.

"Awh, please!" Rhiannon said, nudging her friend lightly and grinning happily as they walked down the corridor.

* * *

The commando handed Rhiannon's son the rifle and he took it carefully, his eyes focused singularly on the task at hand.

"Now, line it up using the optics." Dex said, watching the child. It was easy to tell it was the son of a clone. If the appearance wasn't a give-away, it was the maturity in the child's actions.

He lined it up perfectly; aiming at the centre of the target pinned on the wall below him. It was only ten feet. Dex had said he had to practice on nearer targets before he could start shooting at things a long way away.

"Now, be careful of the slight recoil." Dex told him, and the boy smiled a charming innocent, boyish smile as he squeezed the trigger.

There was a quiet thud as the dead centre of the target was pierced before a round of whoops and cheers started up from the men watching.

"Perfect, _ad'ika_," Dex said, and ruffled the kid's hair. "You'd make a very good sniper."

"But I need to be close to my mummy to protect her properly." He said, looking up from the optics and turning his head to meet Dex's eyes.

Dex sighed. He knew Rhiannon didn't want her son to have a life of war and battles, but there seemed to be no option. "I know, squirt. Now, try again," he said, and the child nodded obediently, lining up the sights again.

"Three, two, one…" The bullet fired out of the rifle and passed through the hole the previous bullet had made.

"Incredible," Dex muttered, and the child lowered the rifle to the floor.

"Thank you," he said. "Can I go see Steel now?" He asked. "He promised to teach me how to dissemble and reassemble a datapad."

Dex chuckled. "Of course, _ad'ika_, go ahead. I'll put this away."

He stood up and walked, in the same style as the clones, down from the balcony that encircled the central controls and along to Steel.

Dex sighed as he watched him go. That child was remarkable; he hoped the father surfaced soon. He was a son any _buir_ would be proud of.

As night fell on the deserters' hide out, Rhiannon lifted her son into her arms and walked with Alice towards the sleeping quarters. Only a few of the clones were awake, the ones who insisted on keeping guard. They all called goodnight to her and waved; she smiled as her son waved back and a couple blew kisses – causing both Rhiannon and Alice to giggle.

They came to Alice's room first. "Goodnight. I'll speak to you tomorrow," Rhiannon said.

Alice nodded and said goodnight, kissing Rhiannon's child on the forehead as she'd done before retreating to her room.

Rhiannon and her son carried on their way to their room. It was a fair distance from Alice's, and the commandos filled the rooms in between. She'd brought in a bed from a neighbouring room so she could keep her child close. She couldn't bear the thought of anything happening to him. After unlocking the door, she carried her child inside and put him down. Without having to say a word, he picked up his pyjamas off the bed and trotted to the 'fresher to change for bed.

She smiled and locked the door before turning down her son's bed for him. She collected her own night things as her son came out, and he climbed into bed without a complaint. If he didn't want to go to sleep, he didn't show it.

Rhiannon kissed and hugged her child goodnight before going to change herself. She put on the old shirt she had and brushed her hair, looking in the mirror, trying not to think about her child's future and father and the way her eyes had changed since the end of the war. She climbed into bed, pulling the covers up to her neck, and she managed a weak smile to herself. Tomorrow was a new day. Anything could happen.

* * *

**There you go! Chapter 2! I hope you enjoyed it :) Review? Follow? Favourite?**

**~ Epona**


	4. Chapter 3

**I'm so sorry this has taken so long! But here's chapter 3! I hope you like it :) Thanks once again to my beta - TheLightIsMine!**

**Thank you so much for the reviews :)**

* * *

Mereel looked up at Jaing as he came over, carrying two cups of caf. "I'm certain they're in there," he said.

"At least it should be easy to get in." Jaing said, sipping his caf. "There are lots of us in there."

"Already prepared, _ner vod_," Mereel said. "As long as we enter through there," he said, gesturing to a side entrance. "We should be fine."

Jaing nodded. "And then we need to find Rhiannon," he said, nervousness showing in his voice. He finished his caf. "Ready to go in?"

Mereel raised an eyebrow. "It's the middle of the night," he said, and Jaing shrugged.

"I'm not entirely sure I can wait any longer without running away like a coward," he said quietly, and Mereel pulled him into a brotherly hug.

"It'll be fine, _ner vod_," Mereel said softly. Jaing nodded and stood up to go. Mereel followed him.

They walked casually to the entrance, acting as if they visited often, and slipped in through the door with no difficulties. Once they were inside, they found themselves near a kitchen.

"Where do you suppose they sleep, then?" Mereel muttered, looking down the empty corridors.

"I don't know. Someone must be awake, we could just ask?" Jaing suggested, and Mereel shook his head.

"I think everyone knows where everyone is. To blend in we'd be expected to know." He countered.

Jaing ran his hand through his hair. "I just need to find her," he said, leaning against the wall. "I'm not sure I care about the means anymore."

Mereel sighed. "C'mon, let's look down here," he said, pushing Jaing gently down the corridor.

Jaing had been fidgety ever since they'd arrived. Mereel had eventually just hacked into their system, forgetting their cover, and located Rhiannon's room – not mentioning to Jaing that he'd also looked to see if there were any other women there. He'd need someone to spend _his_ time with, after all.

"It's this one," Mereel said, stopping by the door.

Jaing just stared at it. "I hadn't planned this far."

"I don't think you can plan for this," Mereel said, watching his brother carefully in case he decided to walk away. He didn't want this to be a wasted journey.

Jaing didn't move. "I don't even know where to start," he sighed, and his hand slowly reached forward and rested above the door controls.

"An apology for waking her up might be a good idea," Mereel offered, trying to make his _vod_ smile.

Jaing let go of the door handle and turned away. "I can't do it," he said. "Let's go, before she hears us."

Mereel looked at him intently. "You don't want to do that," he said. "Just go in there, she'll understand."

Jaing closed his eyes and took a breath before turning back to press the door controls. The door didn't open. "It's locked." Jaing said, his tone blank, as if a locked door was something new and impossible for him.

"Then unlock it?" Mereel suggested, and Jaing blinked, seeming to fall back into reality. He nodded, and proceeded to pick the lock. After a while working behind the panel, he made a triumphant noise and replaced the controls, before pressing the open button. A shaft of light fell across the room as the door opened and landed on the bed where Rhiannon's curled up figure lay, her hair splayed out around her as she slept peacefully. His breath caught as he stared at her. She had hardly changed. Mereel peeked around the corner of the door.

"Well, go on then," he said, pushing Jaing in gently and closing the door behind him. Jaing didn't really know what to do, but he found himself walking towards her bed. He dropped to his knees next to the bed, his face ending up close to hers. She really hadn't changed much. He reached out to touch her cheek but stopped himself. She wasn't his to touch.

"Get away from my mummy." The strong, determined voice of a child came from behind him, and Jaing spun around to see a blaster held aimed at his head in the hands of Rhiannon's son. Jaing was stunned into silence. The scene was somewhat familiar, and Jaing's vision was clouded with the memory of Ordo doing the same to protect him and his brothers from harm on Kamino all those years ago. It dazed him, seeing a young half-clone. He'd lived with Kad and Ka'ra, but for some reason seeing one who could potentially be _his_ was too much of a shock.

"Jaing...?" Rhiannon murmured sleepily, and Jaing turned slowly to see her half sitting up and squinting into the darkness. He was surprised she could recognise him in the dimness. He looked between her son and her, not sure what to do. She looked a picture of shock for a moment, and then seemed to gain her composure once more.

"It's okay, love," Rhiannon said softly to her child. "Go back to sleep."

Her son regarded Jaing warily before sliding back into bed, the blaster not straying far from his reach. Even in the dark, Jaing could see the maturity in his eyes. It scared him.

Rhiannon paused for a moment, seeming to consider something, and then moved over on the bed, freeing the space next to her. "Go and tell your brother that the room opposite is free. I'm guessing Kal didn't let you come alone, or your brothers for that matter."

Jaing gave her another surprised look but did as she said and went outside to tell Mereel.

Mereel raised an eyebrow. "What did she say?"

"The room opposite is free – for you to stay in," Jaing said, oddly calm.

"You're back with her already?" Mereel asked, incredulously.

Jaing frowned, and then shook his head. "No, no, nothing like that," he said. "Her _son's_ in there, she just said to tell you there was a free room."

"And you're going to stay…where?" Mereel asked, and Jaing shrugged.

"I don't know... just go and sleep," he said, and Mereel nodded.

"Be careful, _ner vod_," Mereel said, and disappeared into the room opposite.

Jaing turned back to Rhiannon's room and stepped back inside. "Um... Rhiannon?" He asked, quietly. "Where do I stay?" He shifted from foot to foot.

She patted the space next to her on the bed. "Well, you're not explaining to me what you're doing here at this ungodsly hour," she said with a faint smile.

"So we sleep... together?" Jaing said, unsurely.

Rhiannon laughed softly. "Oh, come on, Jaing," she said. "Normally you'd jump at this sort of opportunity."

Jaing nodded slowly and walked towards the bed uneasily, taking off his armour plates and remaining in his bodysuit – not thinking she'd want him in anything less, not now. He slipped into the bed next to her but made no move to pull her close. She didn't face him, only pulled the covers over them. She was facing where her son slept, Jaing facing away from them as he slowly drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Mereel changed out of his armour and left his bodysuit on to sleep in. He climbed under the covers and was left to think about what Jaing and Rhiannon were talking about – or doing.

He couldn't put himself in their position. He didn't know what he would do if he found out he might have a son with a female he barely knew. He didn't think he could just fall back into a relationship with a girl he'd had a brief fling with.

He couldn't picture himself staying with a woman. Being tied to one and only one, that was - he'd never met anyone he had liked enough to do so. Maybe one day he would, but he didn't know what love so passionate and romantic would feel like. He didn't know if he'd like it.

He wouldn't until he experienced it.

A little part of him hoped he would one day.

He drifted off to sleep, a smile of his face as his dreams subconsciously filled with the types of romance that Ordo and Darman had with their loves, leaving him oddly wistful.

* * *

Jaing woke before Rhiannon, only to find they'd gravitated towards each other during the night. Her head was resting on his shoulder as her pillow and his arms had encircled her, holding her close to him. She was pressed close to his body and it was then he became conscious that she was only wearing her shirt and underwear. He could feel the heat of her skin through his bodysuit and realised he'd forgotten how much he liked having her there. Her hands were neatly folded on his chest and he smiled down at her, resisting the urge to move her hair so he could see her face. He let himself look over to where her son was sleeping.

He wasn't sleeping.

He was awake, dressed and watching Jaing with the eyes of a suspicious animal. He obviously didn't trust Jaing with his mother one bit. "I won't hurt her," he whispered to the child.

"You'd better not," said Rhiannon's voice, and Jaing jumped, looking down at her. He blushed slightly and she smiled, not making any move to leave his shielding arms. She curled up more against his side and sighed softly.

"How's Ordo?" she asked, not looking up at him anymore.

Jaing was momentarily confused, and then remembered how long it had really been since she'd known how he was. "He's fine – awake," he said.

"And his child?" She asked.

"Ka'ra?" Jaing said, forgetting she knew about Besany's pregnancy when Ordo had been under. "She's alright as well."

Rhiannon smiled. "I'm glad. They deserve to be happy."

"Are you happy?" Jaing asked, his fingers absently moving through her hair.

"I am. At least, I think so," Rhiannon said. "I can't be completely happy until the Empire is gone and I'm not scared for my son's life."

Jaing nodded. "You're a brave one, _ad'ika_."

She smiled. "Just doing what I think is right."

He kissed her forehead. "You're so damn wonderful," he said. "You do such incredible things and brush them off as nothing."

A deep blush filled her cheeks. "I'm not," she mumbled.

Jaing chuckled softly. "Hey, Ordo might not have been alive right now if it wasn't for you – his daughter would have been without a father and Besany without a husband."

"He'd have been all right," Rhiannon muttered.

"You helped over a hundred clones desert – that's something to be proud of. You made the holonews." Jaing said.

Rhiannon shrugged. "They did most of the work."

He smiled down at her. "Well, I think you're amazing – you can't change that."

She blushed again and ducked her head so her hair fell over her face. "We need to get up, or there'll be no breakfast left," she said, and climbed over him and stood up. His eyes ran down her body from behind. Her crumpled shirt barely reached mid-thigh and Jaing wouldn't be a male if his eyes had remained on the back of her head. Her hair was trussed in a way that made him want to run his fingers through it and then all over her body, but he made sure his eyes were on her face as she turned around. She appeared to realise how little she was wearing and a crimson flush burned in her cheeks.

"I'm... going to get dressed," she said, hurriedly pulling some casual clothes out of her bag and disappearing into the 'fresher.

He stood up and put his armour back on quickly, finding her son watching him in curiousity. "Your armour is different," he said, and Jaing was struck once again by how young he sounded in comparison to his appearance.

"It's _beskar'gam_," Jaing said. "Made from Mandalorian iron," he added, and her son nodded.

"I've heard of it, but never seen it," he said as he put his blaster in a holster on his belt.

"Well, maybe I can get you some one day," Jaing said with a friendly smile.

"Maybe," her son said, a bright smile temporarily crossing his face. "What do you want with my mummy?" he then asked.

Jaing hesitated. He didn't know what to say, so he decided on the other reason they were here. "We've come to see if any of the men need somewhere to stay – and your mother."

"What about Alice?" Her son enquired and Jaing frowned.

"Who is Alice?" He asked.

"My mummy's best friend, she's very nice," the young child said. "Would she be allowed to come as well? I don't think mummy would leave her behind."

Jaing smiled. "I'm sure if Alice wanted to she could."

He nodded contentedly. "Good. Maybe your brother would like Alice, I've heard mummy and her talking about finding a boyfriend."

"And why wouldn't I be good for Alice?" Jaing asked.

"Because I think mummy would be upset to lose you, and I think you like my mummy very much." The kid said and Jaing looked surprised. The child was much more observant than he'd thought.

"Can I tell you a secret?" Jaing said, gesturing for the child to come closer. He did, and Jaing leant close to him. "You're right. I do like your mummy, a lot," he stage whispered to him. Her child simply nodded but his eyes had lit up cheerfully.

Rhiannon stood in the doorway, mainly hidden by the door as she watched the exchange between her son and Jaing. A small smile flickered onto her lips at Jaing's whispered words. She was glad; she liked him a lot too. She'd never forgotten him. She'd missed his touch. Nobody matched it.

"Shall we go?" Rhiannon asked, pretending she'd just come out the 'fresher.

"We'll need to wake Mereel," Jaing said, watching as Rhiannon walked over and took her son's hand. She nodded.

"Can you do that while I send a message to Alice?" she asked. Jaing nodded and leaned over to kiss her cheek before he left, but stopped himself halfway, a strange look crossing his face before he turned and left her room, going to wake Mereel. Rhiannon bit her lip but didn't say anything. She didn't mind him kissing her, but he didn't know that. She wasn't sure exactly how to tell him.

Rhiannon pushed it to the back of her mind and called Alice's comlink.

"Good morning." Alice's cheery voice rang down the comlink, and Rhiannon smiled.

"Hey," she said. "I have some news for you."

"Go on," Alice said.

"Jaing arrived, last night," she said after a deep breath.

"What?" Alice said, Rhiannon could almost hear the shock that would be on her face. "Why? How? Alone? Are you alright?"

Rhiannon bit her lip. "He came with his brother, Mereel. I'm alright, just a little surprised," she said, and Alice waited for her to add what she was thinking on the end as if she knew already. "We slept in the same bed. I woke up in his arms."

"Oh," Alice said. "Where is he now?"

"He's gone to get his brother... where are you?" she asked.

"I'm about to go for breakfast," Alice said. "I'll meet you there?"

"Yeah, in about ten minutes I think," she said, and Alice confirmed it before shutting off the call.

"Let's go, little one," Rhiannon said to her son as she led him out the room.

* * *

They entered the kitchen-dining area to a chorus of good mornings from the fellow residents, before they all stared curiously at Jaing and Mereel.

"Hey, everyone," Rhiannon said with a smile. "This is Jaing and Mereel Skirata. Really, it was thanks to them and their brothers that my eyes were opened to what your lives are like."

A brief silence fell before many smiled and waved at the two Nulls, a few even stood up to shake their hand.

"You're Kal's men?" Storm asked – the demolitions expert from Zeta squad.

"Some of them," Mereel said, shaking Storm's hand.

"It's nice to meet you," he replied, and Mereel nodded.

"So, what are you doing here?" Ace enquired. He was Zeta squad's leader, and Rhiannon's unofficial second in command.

Jaing looked unsurely at Rhiannon for a moment. "We decided to see if any of you wanted to join us on Mandalore. It's a safe refuge for any deserter." That was partially true.

All the men looked to Rhiannon. "Hey, it's not up to me. It's your decision."

"Think about it," Mereel said. "You don't have to decide right now."

They all nodded and then loud chatter erupted among the men at the thought of a safe refuge. Rhiannon headed over to where Alice was sat. Jaing followed her and sat down next to her; Mereel stayed behind to talk to some of the other men.

"Alice, this is Jaing, Jaing, this is Alice," Rhiannon said.

"So this is Jaing?" Alice asked, her eyes sliding over him momentarily. "I can see why he caught your eye, Rhiannon." She winked at her friend.

Jaing raised an eyebrow. "Good to know," he commented, helping himself to some food.

Mereel joined them, sliding in next to Jaing, and his eyes found Alice quickly. For a moment all his well-practised pick-up lines and smooth words disappeared from his mind as she shot him a dazzling smile.

"So you must be Mereel. Yes, Rhiannon's mentioned your womanizing ways," she said, taking a sip of her water.

Mereel's head kicked back into action and he smirked. "Really? Then I suppose you know of my talents."

Alice laughed. "Mmm, I may have briefly heard of them," she said. "Rhiannon wasn't up for much talking about you. Why would she, when she had a man like Jaing to keep her company?"

Mereel gave an over-dramatic sigh. "I'm hurt," he said, smiling. He felt oddly comfortable talking to her already; like she was someone he'd known his whole life.

Alice gave another laugh and handed him a plate of food. "I'm sure you're fatally wounded. I can take you to the medical bay if you'd like? We have plenty of nice, friendly needles."

* * *

After Rhiannon had left her son in the safe hands of Zeta Squad, she'd moved on to show Jaing around the hideout.

"This is the central control unit," she said, stopping on the balcony.

"This is quite an impressive set-up." Jaing commented, looking at all the systems that were beeping and flashing as they worked.

"Yes, we need them. The IA are after us," she said, quietly. "I don't know much longer we can hide from them."

"Do you have a plan?" Jaing asked.

Rhiannon sighed in frustration. "No. I have no idea what I'm doing anymore." She leaned forward against the railings, watching the men she'd help rescue as they set about their work.

Jaing felt the urge to wrap his arms around her. "We'll help," he promised instead.

She nodded and sighed again, her eyes drifting over to where Storm was teaching her son how to use demolitions effectively. A faint smile twitched at her lips but it was tinged with sadness.

"I didn't want this to happen to him," she whispered. "He was meant to have a real childhood, yet he's stuck here learning about weaponry."

He looked at her son, watching as his deft hands examined the demolitions equipment laid out in front of him. He worked efficiently with barely any guidance.

"Has he done that before?" Jaing asked.

"No, it just comes naturally," Rhiannon said.

Jaing nodded, then realised he didn't know something very important about her son – his son, maybe. "What's his name?" He asked.

"Orion," she said. "Orion Skirata."

* * *

"So, you're telling me that not one man here attracts your attention?" Mereel asked Alice as they walked through the corridors.

Alice rolled her eyes at him. "Why is that so hard to believe?"

"Because I'm now here," he pointed out.

"And what makes you so special?" Alice teased, looking at him as they stopped, reaching the end of the corridor.

Mereel smirked. "I think you already know that, sweetheart," he said, stepping closer to her. She grinned, her eyes sparkling with laughter, and she shook her head.

"No, not a clue," she replied, letting him back her against the wall.

"Hmm... maybe I should show you?" He suggested.

"Hmm... maybe you shouldn't, I _am_ quite busy after all," she replied, leaning back against the cool wall and watching him. She couldn't deny that there was something different about him. None of the others had so openly flirted with her for a start. She quite liked the attention.

"Busy doing what, sunshine?" He asked.

"Working, like you're going to have to," she said, and pushed him away with a wink before walking off down the corridor. Yes, if he wanted her, he would have to work for it.

Mereel watched her go, his eyes filled with curiousity and desire. He wondered why she was so resilient to his charms; she was possibly the first woman that he hadn't been able to coax into a bedroom in ten minutes. He followed her; he had quite liked that sparkle in her eyes. He also couldn't get past the feeling that he'd met her somewhere before. She felt familiar, like someone he hadn't seen in a while. He knew she was interested; he would just have to try harder to make her act on her desires.

Alice had made her way to the med-bay. She wasn't exactly a paramedic, but she had plenty of first aid training to help with minor injuries. Thankfully, no clones were currently injured, so she decided to clean the area up a bit. It felt a bit cluttered to her, and if she had nothing better to do with her time, she might as well do a spot of tidying up.

Mereel watched from the doorway as Alice busied herself with putting bandages away in drawers and first aid kits in boxes. She hadn't noticed him as she'd wiped down surfaces, making sure they were clean in case of an emergency.

"So, what work do you have for me?" Mereel asked her.

She jumped, causing him to chuckle, and she threw the cloth in her hand at him. He caught it, much to her annoyance. She then chucked him the anti-bacterial cleaning spray. "Clean," she ordered, and he gave her a mock salute before doing as he was told.

* * *

"He _is_ mine, then," Jaing said quietly, watching Orion.

Rhiannon nodded, looking at him. "I'm so sorry I didn't tell you," she said. "I couldn't get a hold of you, and I didn't even know what your reaction would be! I tried, but the comlink wasn't working."

Jaing touched her arm comfortingly. "It's not your fault; we weren't supposed to be contactable."

She sighed. "He's your son though... you deserved to know of his existence."

"When did you find out?" He questioned, gently.

"A few days after you left, I had morning sickness and Alice realised I was pregnant," she said. "Guess we were too caught up to think about protection, huh? I'm not complaining, though. I would never have done things differently."

Jaing hesitantly wrapped his arms around her and she leaned into him, inhaling his familiar scent. "I've missed you," he whispered.

She tensed for a moment, then relaxed and looked up at him. "I've missed you, too," she murmured, and lay her head on his chest.

"Will you tell him? That I'm his father?" Jaing asked.

"He knows. He always knew the name of his... _buir_, is that what you call it?" She said.

"Yes. So he's been raised so far as a _Mando_?" He asked.

Rhiannon shrugged. "I suppose he has, I never gave it much thought." She said. "I couldn't afford to buy him toys, then I got caught up with all this and all the men thought the world of him. Suddenly he knew weapons and fighting. Part of it scared me to death."

Jaing stroked her hair. "I can imagine. You didn't grow up with this, and I wouldn't have wanted our son to have the same childhood as me. This, I have to admit, is better."

Rhiannon looked up at him. "Was it that bad for you? We never really talked..."

"We should, especially if we're going to be parents together now," he said with a smile.

"You want to be?" She said, surprised.

"Yes. I do." Jaing said.

* * *

Mereel was diligently scrubbing the work surfaces like Alice had asked. The room was now filled with the scent of anti-bacterial, and Alice smirked at his back from where she was sitting on the bed, reading a gossip column on her datapad.

"Finished!" Mereel proclaimed, turning to see her. "What now..." he trailed off, seeing her sitting there.

"Hmm... the bandages need folding," she said without looking up.

Mereel walked over to her. "Then get to it," he told her, standing in front her.

"I thought you wanted to work," she pointed out.

"Not this sort of work... I was thinking something more... enjoyable, for us both."

"Oh really?" Alice asked, glancing up at him with a slightly flirtatious smile. "I suppose you deserve it. I hate using that spray; makes my fingers feel raw."

Mereel laughed. "I'm glad to have saved you from that pain." He took the datapad out of her hands and put it aside. "So what about my reward?"

Alice blushed faintly as he came closer, her gaze dropping to his mouth as he leant down with his face close to hers. She fell back onto the bed, closely followed by Mereel. He hovered over her, a grin on his lips as they got closer to hers. She closed her eyes expectantly and felt him come ever closer, her blood warming with anticipation. Then alarm bells began to ring in her head, _why was she doing this? She didn't know him! What would make her want him so badly? But she couldn't shake the feeling that she'd met him before._

"Alice," Mereel said. "I'm guessing those sirens and flashing lights don't mean the batch of Dantooine flapjack is done."

They weren't _in_ her head. _Kriff_.

* * *

**So... what do you think of it? And yeah, cliffhanger :) Sorry about that!**


	5. Chapter 4

**Damn, I'm sorry this took so long. I've been on holiday in Greece and forgot to post it before I left! Sorry once again!**

* * *

Rhiannon froze only for a moment as the alarms began to sound, before darting down the stairs to where Orion was with Zeta. He had a grim look on his face, one that was near identical to the one on Jaing's.

"Where are they?" Rhiannon called to Ace over the noise of the sirens. Ace gestured to the video feeds which were now showing nothing but static.

"I don't know, I got a glimpse of a clone in IA armour at the northern entrance before it went down, but there could be many more," Ace said, still calm as he picked up his deece. "There was no warning, no records or anything of them landing here. I hit the alarm when the feeds shut off."

"We'll head south," Jaing said, gripping his own deece tightly. Rhiannon nodded, scooping Orion up into her arms, her blaster in a holster at her waist.

"I hope your brother takes good care of Alice," she muttered to Jaing as the rest of Zeta joined them.

"He will," Jaing promised. Mereel wouldn't let an innocent woman get hurt, especially not if he could reap the rewards afterwards.

All around them, squads of commandos were leaving with simple belongings in bags on their backs with their weapons at the ready. Commands were shouted inside helmets as some caught their first sight of the Empire's troops in the north end of the building. Then the fire begun, clones launched themselves into combat, knowing defeat meant death and victory meant freedom.

Ace locked his bucket on, checking the connections to the rest of his squad. Rhiannon snatched up one of the earpieces, tapping a code into the computer.

"I'm linked to you all," she said, her voice echoing in Zeta's and Jaing's helmets.

Ace lead the way, followed by Dex, then Storm and finally Steel.

"This is the quickest way out. Jaing, bring up the rear," Ace ordered, putting Rhiannon and Orion in the middle since they were the ones who lacked body armour.

Rhiannon followed Steel, keeping a hold of Orion, and she could feel Jaing's presence close behind her. Despite all that was happening she felt safe with him there.

They walked through corridor after corridor, each time Zeta scouting around the corner for enemy troops. Rhiannon, unlike Jaing, knew exactly where they were. "Five hundred metres," she murmured, a distance confirmed by Storm.

Jaing was tense. He was without any of his brothers, a fact that drained his bravery, but he also had his son and Rhiannon to look after. He didn't know what he'd do if anything happened to them. He was glad for the company of Zeta Squad; although he'd never come across the men before, they did seem reliable and not ones to desert Rhiannon or Orion. It meant he wasn't alone to care for them.

This part of the building seemed quieter than the rest and they all deeply hoped that the IA hadn't discovered the expanse of the hideout. Jaing was surprised they'd managed to find a place so big.

"It used to be barracks," Rhiannon murmured, and how she knew he'd been wondering, Jaing didn't know.

"Ssh," Storm suddenly hissed. He'd frozen, his head tilted slightly to the eastern wall as he listened intently. "Can anyone else hear anything out there? A little further along maybe."

They'd reached a wall, which was the only thing between them and the outside world. Jaing carefully nudged Rhiannon to the western wall, just behind him.

Storm moved further down the wall, still listening, and Dex, Steel and Ace had instantly moved to cover him, leaving a gap between them and Rhiannon of nearly twenty metres.

_BOOM!_

With a flash of light and what felt like a wave of power, the wall exploded in on them, ripping up the floor and leaving a pile of rubble in its wake.

Jaing had reacted in a flash, pulling Rhiannon and Orion to his chest and turning his back on the noise, feeling debris rain against his armour. The actual explosion for him had been silent, his bucket shutting out the noise, and he dreaded the effect it could have had on Rhiannon and Orion.

"Are you okay?" He whispered, but she'd frozen in his arms and then tugged him violently sideways, throwing them through a doorway which he noticed had "'fresher" written on it. He yelped in surprise, letting go of her, and she shut the door quietly. He took his bucket off and stared at her.

"What is it?" He whispered, but then his question was answered as he heard a familiar marching past the room. It was rather cramped in the space and she leaned against the door, sighing in relief.

"That was close," she murmured, picking up her earpiece.

"Are you alright? Orion?" He asked, crouching in front of his son.

"I am fine," he said, blinking rapidly. "I've never experienced an explosion before."

Rhiannon sighed. "Can you get a hold of Ace?" She asked Jaing.

Jaing replaced his helmet and attempted to get through. "No." He said, "I can't, the link's shut off."

Rhiannon ran her hands through her dark hair. "Oh gods... I hope they're okay."

Jaing touched her arm comfortingly. "I'm sure they're fine, we were closer to the explosion than they were."

Rhiannon nodded slightly. "They've passed," she said, putting her ear to the door. "It's quiet out there."

She stepped back so Jaing could move forwards to leave first, and as he opened the door quietly and stepped out, she lifted her son into her arms. She stepped out at Jaing's signal that it was clear and had to immediately fight the urge to cough. Dust riddled the air, creating a fog in the corridor. She kept close to Jaing.

"Don't move," a voice pierced the air and cut through the smog. Rhiannon could just make out the figure of a clone, his weapon raised and pointed straight at her and Orion in her arms. "Or they both die."

Alice had been creeping after Mereel for nearly ten minutes now. She'd heard the sounds of warfare, sometimes closer than at others and considering she was weaponless, it did nothing for her confidence. He had been navigating the barracks like he'd been here for months, leaving it to Alice to just sneak along behind him.

She was so distracted by worrying about the sounds of guns that she ran straight into Mereel's armoured back, yelping softly in surprise. His weapon wasn't raised so she dared to peek around his shoulder to see why he'd come to a sudden halt. Her hand immediately slammed itself across her mouth to stifle a scream. She gripped his arm tightly with her free hand, unable to draw her eyes away from the sight in front of her.

The walls were splattered heavily with the bright colour of blood, contrasting violently with the white paintwork, but that was nothing compared to what lay on the ground.

She couldn't count the bodies. They lay at twisted angles, blood dripping from wounds into puddles on the now dark red carpet. Alice now understood the literal meaning of the term 'blood-bath'; one could have bathed in the torrents of blood that had swept across the floor before being snatched up by the fibres of the carpet tiles. Helmets were scattered across the floor, the bright white now tarnished with crimson droplets, but what Alice found most horrific were the terrified, glassy eyes of the men who had once worn them. Most had perfect, circular bullet holes in their foreheads, their lips slightly parted as they readied themselves to embrace death. She couldn't help but notice how many she recognised. These were men she'd helped somewhat to freedom and this was what had greeted them. Pain, destruction and horror.

How could men be so abhorrent, so cruel?

She hadn't realised she'd voiced the question out loud until she heard Mereel's reply.

"They couldn't. I've never seen clones act in such a way. It's like they're droids now."

Alice felt tears form in her eyes but blinked them back. It would be no use to Mereel if she turned into a blubbering wreck right now.

Mereel sighed and she could hear the pain and guilt in it. "It's not your fault," she said, quietly.

"What if we'd suggested they leave sooner?" He asked, solemnly.

"You could have risked leading the IA right to your hidey-hole." Alice said, firmly. "And then nobody would have been safe. Rhiannon told me about Ordo's coma and Besany's child – you'd have threatened their lives."

Mereel nodded, but it was somewhat awkward. "Come on, we have to get out of here." He said, putting himself into rescuing mode. Alice was a lady and he had to protect her. "I promise, you'll be safe with me."

He picked his way through the bodies, Alice hesitating before taking a deep breath and immediately regretting it as the tangy, metallic taste of blood filled her mouth causing her to gag silently. She followed Mereel's footsteps, wincing as her shoes squelched in the blood soaked floor.

She was almost at the end of the corridor when she heard the shuddering breath of life coming from one of the clones. Her head swung sharply to focus on him. His legs were spread out in front of him, blood spilled down the plates of his armour and his eyes were closed. She could however, see the faint movement of his lips as breath rasped in and out painfully. She tapped Mereel's shoulder and went over to the man.

"Hello," she whispered to him. His eyelids fluttered slightly in acknowledgement and she gently tried to prise away the plate that was imbedded in his upper arm that was piercing the brachial artery.

"N... n... no," he managed to say, his voice grating and harsh from his current suffering.

"I have to, sir. I'll bandage it right up," Alice promised, glad she'd decided to bring some first aid equipment with her.

"Too... late..." he breathed.

"No. It's not." Alice said, more to convince herself than him. She brought the bandages and bacterial spray out of her bag. "Mereel," she said, gesturing to the equivalent of shrapnel in his body.

Mereel nodded, sending her a look that clearly said; _I believe in you_.

Her heart warmed at it, but it was quickly shattered at the gurgled scream the clone let out and the pain that rippled through his body, making him writhe and shudder, as Mereel pulled the shrapnel from his arm.

She immediately set to work, using the spray briefly before applying pressure to the wound, stemming the blood. _She could do this. She _could_ do this._ _She was responsible for his life now_.

"I'm going to keep watch," Mereel told her, before placing a gentle kiss on her forehead and moving silently to watch the corridor.

She tore the bandage, wrapping it tightly around his arm. She tied it firmly before deciding to add another. She wished Rhiannon was here right now, this was more of her area of expertise. She wondered where Rhiannon was, hoping she was all right, along with Jaing and Orion. The clone gave another gasp of pain and Alice focused back on the task at hand. Her hands were now bloodstained as she struggled to stop the blood that was just soaking through the bandages.

She was so caught up in the matter that she didn't hear the near silent footsteps, or the slight creak of the door. She didn't see the injured clone's eyes widen in terror once more before the entire world went black; she didn't feel herself fall forward, iron-clad arms gripping her tightly before she was dragged away. Then she felt nothing...

Jaing didn't even think. All he was aware of was seeing the direction of the gun with horror, and then the clone was falling to the ground, groaning in pain. It took a moment for him to realise that it had been him who'd fired. He'd killed a clone. A brother. A _vode_. _How could he do such a thing?_

He'd also moved without conscious thought to the clone's body. He'd hit the weak point in the armour perfectly and now blood was leaving his body fast enough for him to be dead in less than a minute.

"I'm sorry... but that was my son and the woman I'm fairly confident I'm in love with. I couldn't let them die," he whispered to the clone, so that Rhiannon wouldn't overhear.

The clone twitched slightly, but gave no vocal response. Jaing assumed he was too near death to do so. "He's dead," he said, huskily to Rhiannon and Orion as he stood back up. Rhiannon joined him, the image of sadness etched on her features.

She reached out and slipped her free hand into Jaing's. "We need to go," she whispered and he nodded. He went out of the hole in the wall the blast had created cautiously, his deece raised. She followed him; the area was quiet, almost too quiet.

They walked as silently as they could around the building, Rhiannon still holding Orion in her arms. He was clinging to her, his small hands holding her shirt. She kissed his forehead and murmured reassuringly in his ear.

In the distance, sounds of violence echoed, before they were aware of a louder, marching sound approaching them rapidly. Jaing gestured to a fire door that could only be opened from the inside and Rhiannon nodded. After three attempts of Jaing throwing his weight at it, it nearly flew off its hinges.

"Subtle, Jaing," Rhiannon muttered but stepped inside after him. Jaing wedged the door back shut and took Rhiannon's hand again. It probably wasn't the best way to move around an invaded hideout; he couldn't quickly retaliate if taken by surprise with his weapon, but he felt a lot better knowing she was right there, knowing he couldn't lose her, or Orion, in the dimly lit passage.

"Where's the western exit?" Jaing whispered to Rhiannon.

She frowned, studying a sign on the wall that said Level Four. "We're on the top level. The west gate is on the second. We don't use this area, too close to the other buildings, and the rooms have windows."

Jaing nodded. "I can see that," he said, noticing the dust on the door handles and frames. "Where are the stairs?"

"Take the next left, then the second right and at the end of that corridor are the stairs." Orion piped up. "I was studying the plans last week."

Jaing's eyes widened ever so slightly in surprise but nodded, knowing he could trust his son. He was then met with the realisation that Orion didn't know who his father was, unless Rhiannon had told him. It wasn't, however, a conversation he was going to start now. He followed Orion's instructions and headed down the corridor.

They made it successfully to the stairs. The lights in this area were flickering wildly, casting the whole place into darkness before shocking it with light again, and sparks erupted from a cable on the wall like a miniature fireworks display.

"They've already been here," Jaing said. "We should be safe – _safer_ anyway."

"This is the overflow sleeping area," Rhiannon said. "We had been hoping to go back and rescue more men, but I guess that's out of the question now. There were maybe one or two squads up here. I hope they got out."

"So do I," Jaing said in agreement, carefully opening the doors to the stairs. This area was still well lit and the openness of it made sure Jaing could tell there was nobody waiting to jump out at them.

They started down the stairs, Jaing going first as expected with his weapon at the ready. Nothing dramatic happened, thankfully, and they made it to the second floor without issue. A fact all three of them were grateful for. It was when Jaing moved through the door and peeked around the corner that he found the wrong end of a deece in his face.

He recognised the holder at once, as did the holder recognise him. Both of them removed their helmets and Rhiannon recognised the other man as Mereel.

The brothers embraced with the clack of armour plates, glad to have found each other. It would make escaping easier.

"Where's Alice?" Rhiannon asked, not seeing her behind Mereel.

"She's helping a clone, down there," Mereel pointed to the corridor behind him before returning to his discussion with Jaing.

Rhiannon peered around the corner and immediately gagged at the sight of the bodies, especially the one that was just at her feet. Its arms were outstretched as if reaching for something, his expression twisted with desperation and his eyes still open, and she could read the pure fear in them – it made her feel positively ill.

There was a greater problem though.

Alice wasn't there.

"Mereel..." Rhiannon said, softly. "Alice isn't here."

Mereel spun around sharply. "What? She was right..." he trailed off, seeing no sign of her but the abandoned medical kit. He looked down at the clone at Rhiannon's feet.

"Oh... _shab_." He swore and knelt down. "This was the clone she was helping, he must have been trying to get my attention! How could I forget to watch the other corridor? I thought Alice would hear someone, I shouldn't have taken that risk. Rhiannon, I'm so sorry." He looked up at her with pleading eyes.

"She isn't dead." Jaing said. "They took her, probably for questioning. We'll find her," he put his hand on Mereel's shoulder and brought him to his feet.

"Yes. Yes, we'll find her, I promise," Mereel said, nodding his head rapidly.

Rhiannon regarded him with soft, yet fearful eyes. "You can't watch everywhere alone, Mereel," she said, gently. She was angry, but lashing out at Mereel wouldn't help anyone. He was distressed enough already.

"Let's go back to _Aay'han_. We have the plans for the building and can figure out where they'd keep her." Jaing said.

Rhiannon nodded, knowing it was important to keep calm. Orion was keeping calm also, watching Mereel carefully. He did blame Mereel a little, but decided it was more out of protectiveness of Alice than real fault in the Null.

All four of them made their way to the west gate in an absolute silence that was tinged with despair on Mereel's part. He was angry at himself. How could he have let such a thing happen? He was supposed to be better than this. He'd failed in such a simple mission. He could barely look Rhiannon in the eye. She'd trusted him with Alice. Now she'd never trust him again. What would _buir_think of him? He'd be a laughing stock with the IA troops, allowing himself to be duped so easily. And Alice, what would she be thinking of him? Didn't he promise her she'd be safe? He'd failed her the most. He hated the idea of her being hurt. A cold anger boiled up inside him. He'd kill them all to make her safe again.

He didn't know why he cared so much. It wasn't because of his pride and honour that he had to bring her to safety, but because it was simply _her_ and leaving her to die was too terrible for him to think about. He couldn't describe it. He felt like meeting her was like bumping into someone you hadn't seen in a long while. He hadn't met her before, and that he was sure of, but he couldn't shake that feeling. He just felt like he _knew_ her.

Yes, it sounded ridiculous to him too.

Mereel brought himself out of his thoughts to unlock _Aay'han_ and step aside to let Rhiannon in. She put Orion down and turned to them just as Jaing closed the door on them. It sealed and locked with a clunk.

Rhiannon, shocked, hammered on the door. "Jaing! Mereel! What are you doing?" She yelled out to them.

He could hear the hammering on the door and Jaing could sense that Mereel had his eyebrows raised behind his bucket. "I hope you know what you're doing, _ner vod_." Mereel commented.

"I won't let her or Orion get hurt." Jaing said, stubbornly.

The banging and screaming from Rhiannon got louder, who'd apparently forgotten Orion's age and was yelling obscenities at Jaing.

"She will not be pleased," Mereel told Jaing.

"I'll take that risk."

* * *

**Tada! End of chapter 4! Hope you enjoyed it!**


	6. Chapter 5

**Hello again, long time huh? Yeah, I know. Lack of inspiration. But here you go, it's unbeta'd and unproof read because everything is giving me a headache... feel free to point out mistakes!**

* * *

Jaing made his way back into the barracks, ignoring the yells and protests behind him. Mereel followed him, shaking his head in amusement. If Alice doesn't get out of this alive, Jaing will probably be disembowelled by the mother of his child for what he's just done.

Mereel peered around the corner. "Clear," he said, stepping out into it. "Where would they take her?"

"Looking at the schematics," he replied. "There are a thousand and one places."

Mereel loaded them up and studied them. His eyes flickered over each one Jaing highlighted until he settled on one. It was in the lowest level with no means of escape apart from one route. "There," he said, confidently. "It's where I'd take them."

"Affirmative," Jaing said. "Let's go."

They made their way through the corridors, coming across the occasional guard and knocking them out with the hilt of their blasters. Mereel blasted their weapons, disabling them, before continuing on their way. It took less time that expected to reach the stairs to the lowest level and using thermo-imaging, they found a greater number of clones at the bottom.

"Plan?" Jaing asked.

"Blast them into oblivion?"

"They're our _vode_!" Jaing protested.

"They're holding the best friend of the mother of your child captive," Mereel stated. "You want her back, I suggest you get down there and start shooting."

Jaing relented. "Fine," he muttered, starting quietly down the stairs. He wasn't happy with this, and he suspected Mereel's bloodthirsty attitude had something more to do with Alice than Jaing's own desires. For a brief moment, he wondered if Mereel was feeling something more than attractive towards the woman but the thought flew from his mind as his gun spewed its contents all over the clones. The ruckus drew more and soon they were both trapped in the stairwell, the power of their weapons keeping the enemy at bay.

He had to think of them as that, if he started considering they were anything other than droves of mechanical cogs and gears then he would hesitate and his weapon would fail him. Then he would be gunned down and out. And she would be left alone once more to care for their son. The thought motivated him. These people were here to kill her. _That_ was not allowed. With a roar of anger, he opened fire more recklessly and the clones started to fall more rapidly. The enemy began to retreat and regroup, showing that these mindless replicas had nothing on the original Nulls.

"Let's not give them a chance," Mereel growled and started forward, the gun killing the clone troopers so fast that it acted like a shield. Jaing followed, taking out those that hadn't been machined to the ground. For a moment, he felt a surge vindictive glee. These… _creatures_, deserved to die. They were weapons, not people. They didn't have minds of their own and that made them dangerous. They were droids, nothing more, nothing less.

They reached the end in moments, a trail of blood and armoured machines in their wake. Jaing raised his weapon to put a couple of hundred holes in the door but Mereel pushed it back down.

"You might hit Alice!" he said. Jaing nodded and settled for throwing his weight at it instead. It took multiple tries, but it eventually gave way and Mereel was first in. The crashing had given the clones good enough warning to know that something dangerous was coming and they'd set up a defensive formation, their weapons all pointed at them.

"Unless you want to end up like your _comrades_," Jaing spat. "I suggest you get out of our way."

The clones trembled, their weapons shaking in their grasp. Jaing and Mereel both stepped out of the way of the door and Mereel gestured with a cocky sweep of his arm for them to go. They all scrambled for it and made their escape.

All but one.

Alice was standing now, her arms trapped against her sides by a rather nasty looking clone. He wasn't wearing armour, but civilian clothes, and, even though they looked alike, Jaing and Mereel were disgusted by the twisted, cruel expression on his face.

"You are going to come with me," he snarled. "Or she dies."

Mereel raised his weapon and suddenly, with a small snick, a silver blade was pressed to her throat.

"You are going to drop that, _scum_. You too," he added, nodding to Jaing.

In the second of hesitation, the clone applied a slight pressure and a bead of red appeared on her neck, contrasting against the silver. Mereel dropped it, Jaing following.

The clone gave a twisted smile and moved towards the door. He made the mistake of twisting slightly towards Jaing to talk. "Now, you-"

He was cut off as Mereel grabbed his shoulders and smashed his head hard against his. His grip of Alice slackened as his vision tunnelled and she pushed the knife away, slipping out of his grasp. The clone recovered quickly, and realising there was going to be no way past them, shoved her hard at Jaing and took off running.

Mereel's inhuman snarl reached Jaing through the helmet just before he took off running after the clone, his gun already in his hands. He could only watch as Mereel charged after the clone, shooting him in the legs to bring him to the ground. Jaing turned Alice into his arms, shielding her view of Mereel beating the man to a pulp. Her own hands moved to cover her ears, blocking out the groans of pain the man was making.

Mereel didn't stop until the man was a bloody mess of broken bones and his skin turned purple with bruises. He was pretty sure there was also internal bleeding. It would have been crueller to leave this man to die like this, he had an hour, maybe two, of agonising pain, but he didn't want this man to stand any chance of living. Placing the blaster against his forehead, he squeezed the trigger, and like that, the man was dead.

"It's done," Mereel said. He sounded tired now; the adrenaline which had fuelled him was gone. Jaing let go of Alice and she stepped back unsteadily, turning to look at Mereel.

"Thank you," she said, quietly and her voice shook. Mereel strode forward, concerned for her wellbeing and she flinched slightly, her eyes following the gun. He dropped it before wrapping her up in his arms. She stiffened in his arms, her eyes barely meeting his.

"Alice…" he murmured, taking her face in his hands. "I'm so sorry, I should have been paying more attention, and…"

"Mereel," she said, sharply. "I'm okay, you saved me. I'm _fine_."

"You're not, they… they _hit_ you," he said, his anger bubbling as he noticed the red mark on her cheek. "I'm going to kill them all for even touching you," he said, letting go of her to pick up his gun.

"MEREEL!" she shouted. He froze with his eyes wide, surprised and alarmed. "Stop it. Put the weapon down, now." He did as she said, too stunned to object. She stepped close to him and wrapped her arms around his solid torso.

His arms slid back around her and he held her tightly to him. "Oh… gods. I… I…" He tried to speak, but the words mangled in his mouth and he couldn't explain just _what_ the swirl of emotions inside him was. She met his eyes and gave him a small smile.

"You saved me, Mereel, I'm _safe_," she promised and then, without warning, his lips crashed hard into hers. It was raw, harsh and more desperate than affectionate. She couldn't move, his arms held her still and she could hardly respond to the force of which he kissed her with. It only lasted moments, but at the same time it lasted eternity, and he pulled back with panic in his eyes. With a deep breath, he managed to release her from his grasp.

"We should get back," he said, looking to Jaing who was watching them with a raised eyebrow.

"Probably," he said.

The route back to _Aay'han_ was clear of those who wished to oppose them. They made it back much swifter than they had made it there and with a sharp knock, Jaing rapped his knuckles on the door.

"Who's there?" Rhiannon's voice filtered through in a mostly annoyed tone.

"Jaing," he replied. "We got her."

"How do I know? What if you're an imposter?" she accused bitterly. "Since apparently I can't take care of myself."

Mereel raised an eyebrow. "I did warn you," he muttered under his breath.

He sighed. "Open the door," he said.

"Why should I?"

"Just _do_ it, now."

"Maybe I don't want to," she replied, childishly. "What if I open this door and you shoot me and my son? You could be IA, how do I know?"

Jaing shook his head. "You have a birthmark shaped like a star-"

"OKAY! It's you!" she said, opening the door quickly. "That's private, Jaing. Not for sharing."

He smirked, stepping inside and moving to the side so Alice and Mereel could follow and he headed towards the front, whistling, while Rhiannon glared at his back.

"So, where is that birthmark?" Mereel asked with a grin. She raised the blaster, pointing at his head as a reminder of how angry she currently was and he held his hands up in surrender. "Sorry, sorry," he said, going to join Jaing up at the front.

"Are you alright?" she asked Alice.

"Yes, thankfully," she replied, moving so Rhiannon could close the door. "Did they lock you in here?"

"Yes," she said through gritted teeth. "Just because I don't have fancy armour and lifelong training, I'm not able to fight."

"You wouldn't have wanted to be there," Alice said, quietly. "It was a massacre, so much blood and…" she shuddered, "I'm glad they found me."

Rhiannon studied her friend for a moment. "And something else happened."

"Mereel…" she said, frowning slightly. "He sort of kissed me, but it wasn't really a kiss…"

She raised an eyebrow. "Come again?"

"It was _desperate_," she tried to explain. "Not romantic or affectionate."

A smile played on Rhiannon's lips. "I think he likes you, and considering what I've heard, that's something pretty special."

"He's a womaniser," she said, matter of factly. "That's nothing special."

"No, I think he _likes_ you, as in, long term," she said. "I guess we'll see."

Rhiannon gave her friend a smile and went to the front. "Where are we going?" she asked Mereel, completely ignoring Jaing.

"We aren't sure, we can't go to Mandalore," Mereel replied, glancing unsurely at Jaing. "We might be followed."

"There's Agamar," Jaing suggested. "It's pretty safe."

Rhiannon kept her eyes on Mereel, narrowing them slightly when Mereel nodded in agreement.

"Fine, Agamar it is then," she said, sharply and turned to rejoin her son and friend.

"Listen," Jaing said, catching her wrist. She glowered at him, trying to pull her wrist free.

"I don't want to," she said, stubbornly.

"You aren't made for killing people - you're a nurse, a healer," he said, quietly, trying to explain.

"Who says?" she said through gritted teeth. "You don't know me."

"I know you better than you think, you aren't a killer," he told her, slowly letting go of her wrist.

"Maybe I should be," she replied in a cold tone, snatching her wrist back. "And maybe I should start with you."

Jaing's eyes studied her but remained blank and emotionless, he wasn't going to let her know quite how much that hurt him. He was going to protect her and his son, even if it meant enduring her frosty demeanour.

Mereel coughed, breaking up the staring/glaring match and watched as she stormed back to the back. She picked up Orion and, followed by Alice, sat in one of the compartments.

"That was… interesting," he commented, firing up the engines. Jaing didn't reply, only concentrated on getting them off the planet and on their way.

"You're going home, baby," Mereel said to _Aay'han_ with a slight grin.

* * *

**I hope it wasn't too terrible, please let me know what you think!**

**- Epona**

**p.s. more reviews = faster update**


	7. Chapter 6

**Hello again :)**

**Just one thing before I let you read: I apologise for any errors, I haven't even proof read this - so please let me know if you spot any, there's bound to be some. **

* * *

"It's going to take about two days," Mereel said, joining Alice to eat, ironically, some Dantooine flapjack that she had found in her bag.

"Two days?" Alice said with a groan. "But it's freezing in here."

Mereel looked somewhat confused. "I can turn the heating up?" he suggested, unsurely.

"No, no, I mean between Jaing and Rhiannon."

"Oh… yes, I agree," he said, looking around. "Where are they?"

"Rhiannon's putting Orion to bed and reading him a story, and I believe Jaing is sulking by the controls."

"I should talk to him," Mereel said, standing up but she caught his arm and pulled him back down.

"Stay, just for a while," she said, softly and he nodded, sitting back down.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I just… I don't know what's happening any more," she tried to explain. "Not that I've had much clue since I left Coruscant, but… that was somewhat expected. Can you tell me about where we're going?"

"Agamar? There's not much to say-"

"No, where you come from, Manda… something…"

"Mandalore," Mereel corrected.

She blushed. "Yes, there."

"Right turn off the Hydian Way. Can't miss it."

"Really? I've never heard of it before. What's it like?"

"It's mostly veshok forests, jungle and hills with farmland, lots of rivers and lakes. It's calm and quiet, but lonely. The complete opposite of Corrie."

"It sounds… peaceful," she murmured.

"It's not somewhere the city folk would like, no convenient shops or caf trucks. You strike me as someone who likes the lights and sounds of a city," Mereel commented.

"It can be comforting, if you know you are safe," Alice agreed. "But I grew up on Alderaan, I like being outside in the fresh air just as much as I enjoy city life."

"Then I hope you'll like Mandalore."

"I hope I do too," she said, softly.

Mereel smiled at her. "I'm going to talk to Jaing, what Rhiannon said was pretty cold."

"She's not as inexperienced as you think," she replied. "She learnt to fight and the men taught her about weapons, she's got pretty good aim."

"Did they teach you?" he asked.

"A little, I know basics weapon training, but Rhiannon dedicated herself to it after you left. She didn't want to be helpless anymore."

"She was a little… emotional, at times," Mereel said. "But it wasn't an easy time for any of us."

"Your brother… he was in a coma?"

Mereel nodded. "Yes, he's fine now, thankfully."

Alice nodded back. "She does love him, part of her at least, even if it doesn't seem like it right now," she said, quietly. "He loves her too, doesn't he?"

"I think so," he replied. "She was never forgotten by him."

"There's hope then," she said with a sigh. "The last thing Orion needs is his parents arguing."

"It's the last thing any of us need."

"She doesn't like being left out."

"I had figured that out."

"But her temper never lasts long, and she simply cannot hold a grudge."

"So she will apologise?"

"Definitely," she said with a nod.

* * *

Hours passed and Mereel and Alice both decided to turn in for a few hours, leaving Rhiannon sitting as far from Jaing as she could with a frosty glare permanently etched on her face. Jaing was doing his best to ignore her, focusing on flying the ship. He could feel the cold radiating off her from here, or maybe he was just imagining it. He wasn't going to let himself give in and look at her though. Or maybe he would. She was kind of sexy when she was pissed off.

Rhiannon, meanwhile, was watching Jaing. The ice was almost visibly slipping from her face as she realised what horrible things she'd said. She replayed the conversation, her hand moving to cover her mouth in shame. She silently stood up, making her way to Jaing's side.

"I'm sorry..." she said, quietly.

Jaing's head shot around to her, his expression startled.

"No need to look that surprised..." she said dryly, though the slight curl of her lips hinted at a sad smile.

"No... I just didn't hear you move that's all," Jaing said quickly and put the plane on autopilot. "I'm sorry too, I shouldn't have locked you in like-"

"Yes, you should have," Rhiannon cut in. "You're right, I'm a healer, not a killer. I just can't stand the idea of not being able to help."

Jaing touched her arm gently. "That's normal," he said, softly. "But I should have explained."

She gave him a brief hug. "I'm still sorry."

"Accepted, though the idea that you were considering killing me pains me a little," he said with a dry laugh.

"Don't be silly, I could never kill you," she said, her fingers lightly running through his hair before she realised what she was doing and pulled her hand away with a small squeak.

Jaing cleared his throat. "Is Orion asleep?"

"Yes," she said, praying for her cheeks to cool down. "It worries me how little this all phases him. I don't want him to be scared, but he seems completely unaffected."

He nodded. "I think that's the clone DNA in him."

She sighed, sitting down and drawing her knees to her chest. "I hate it. At times I hate you for opening my eyes to all that's really happening. But then I think about Orion, and Ordo, and Besany, and their child, and I know I could never walk away now."

Jaing studied her, his dark eyes penetrating right into her and she shifted slightly, uncomfortable under his scrutiny.

"What...?" she asked eventually.

"Rhiannon..." he murmured, leaning close to her. He paused only for a second, a slight hesitation that told her exactly what he was about to do. Their mouths collided in fiery passion, teeth scraping roughly against each other as hands grabbed hold of whatever fabric they could to hold themselves close.

"Jaing..." she breathed as his fingers made their way into her hair and tugged lightly at the strands. He took the opportunity to slide his tongue into her mouth and she gave a small gasp of pleasure that made him growl with delight. He'd forgotten how good it felt to have her in his arms. She wriggled slightly, moving herself onto his lap in a way that caused his armour to once again feel a bit uncomfortable in certain places like when he'd accosted her in the hallways of the medicenter all those years ago. He couldn't help but slide his hand under the thin fabric of her top, craving the familiar feel of her smooth skin. Another gasp left her mouth, but this one was more in surprise and she pulled away quickly. She stood up, looking flushed and dishevelled.

"I have to go," she said, her eyes wide with panic and she ran to the room designated for to sleep in.

Jaing stared after her with a look of bewilderment. He couldn't blame her for not being ready to jump back into a relationship with him – not that they really had a relationship to begin with.

He'd pushed it a little too far just then.

He would have stopped it himself before it got much further; it definitely wasn't the best time for them to jump back into bed with one another. But at least she was still interested in him.

With a sigh, he switched back to manual and continued flying the plane, even if it wasn't thought consuming enough to stop his mind to drift back to their time at the medicenter.

* * *

"Oh... _kriff_." Rhiannon breathed, sliding down the door with tears in her eyes. "Why did I do that? I'm so stupid..."

She wrapped her arms around herself, still feeling the tingle from where his hands had made contact with her skin. She hadn't realised just _how much_ she'd missed his affections. It had that spark, the one everyone talks about when they find their true love – _there's a spark between you, something that ignites a fire in your heart and consumes you_, that's what it said in the romance novels. She hadn't realised how true it was until now. When he touched her, she felt that same described fire fill her veins – only magnified several thousand times. She wondered if he felt it too. That look on his face as she'd ran had made her want to take him back in his arms and love him. _Love_. She gave a bitter laugh. She wasn't in love with him. She'd just missed him. This was infatuation. She _had not_ fallen for a womaniser.

She wondered what would happen once they were safe on Mandalore. Would he still want her? Or was he only here for their son? Had he moved on? What if he had a girl back home?

She crawled into bed, curling up under the covers and part of her wanted Jaing back by her side, holding her close while she slept. She felt vulnerable without him. A burst of anger flooded her. She was a strong, independent woman. She didn't _need_ his protection. She'd protected herself for six years.

Though the warm cradle of his arms might have been worth giving that up.

* * *

**Well, I know it's not particularly long, but after the events of the previous chapter I think this was an alright place to leave it. **

**- Epona**


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